Improvement in horse hay-porks



vt-initrd der . .SOLOMON s. -MA Tris, Or cURT IN,PENNSYLV A-N1A.

` Letters .Patent N .85,840, dated January 12, 1869 ;'v antedated January 2, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, SOLOMON S. Marius, of Curtin, in the countyof Dauphin, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Horse Hay-Forks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description otfthe. same, ret'- erence being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 isa perspective view of a hay-rork embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view, showing the fork in two positions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin the two gmes.

The object of this invention is 'to provide a simple contrivance, whereby the fork, nponbeing embedded in the hay, 'may be Vmade to perform a -sweeping or scooping movement, in Order to gather upon it and elevate a complete load. lo this end, a bar to which the elevattn grope'is attached, is iittcd in a .slot in the shank ot' the fork, said bar being detained in the slot by a springcatch, while the fork has descended into the hay, so that the bar may then be retracted or withdrawn, and again thrust into the hay, in a direction which shall causethe fork to undergo the sweeping orseooping movement, when the elevating-power begins to act.

In Order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, may beenabled to more fully understand and use the same, I will proceed tO describe it with-reference to the annexed drawings.

.Amay represent a hay-elevating fork, whose shank B is slotted at C, to receive a bar, D. Ihe bar D is provided at its upper end with a loop, D, or other means for the attachment of the rope E, to which is applied the power whereby the fork and its load are elevated. The barD may be slidden in the direction of its length, within the slot C, and it may also be vibrated in the plane of said slot, for a' purpose presently explained.

E is the tripping Or discharging-latch, which is pivoted at F1 tothe shank B, and provided at its opposite end with ilanges f, which embrace the bar D, and maintain the latch in position to engage with the notches d.

G is the discharging-cord, which is lcd over a pulley, b, in an opening in the end of the shank B, and thence to an eye, F2, on the latch F, to which eye the cord Gr is fastened. I

.H is a spring, fastened at one end, as shown at F', to the shank of the fork B, andl provided at its opposite end with a. pin or linger, which works in an aperture leading into the slot O.

The spring H hasfa constant tendency to force the pin h into the slot C, but the motion of the pin in that direction is obstructed by thebar D, except at such times as the aperture d1 is brought into line vlnth the.

Witnesses:

pin h, when the latter enters said aperture and holds- [the bar D against any longitudinal-sliding movement 'i "intheslot d2 represents alongitudinal groove in the barD,Which serves as a guide for the endof the pin h, to insure its entrance into the aperture d, when the bar D reaches the limit of its movement ou being pushed in by the end, D.

pin hr, the fork and bar D descend in an approximatelyl parallel position, and penetrate the hay in the pile from which it is to be lii'tcd. Thefpin 7c. isthen retracted from the aperture. d, by means :of a bent shouldered lever, I, fitted loosely in a slot in the spring H, and bearing against the-side oi' the shank B, and the bar D being thus released, is drawn out by grasping the end, D, vdnnteduntil it assumes a position at right angles to the fork, and then rethrust into the hay, it being pushed in sutiiciently to cause the pin h-to enter the aperture fl, and the latch F to engage with one of the notches d.

At this stage the relative position of the-parts is as shown in red in iig. 2, and 'it is manifest that as the power is applied to the bar D, the initial movement of the fork, in rising, is performed in the arc of.' a circle, causing it to scoop up a largequantity of hay before the fork regularly ascends in a vertical path.

Owing to the situation of the bar D, the fork retains a quantity of hay which might otherwise fall off.

The sliding movement of the bar D is limited by the slot (l2, and to facilitate the penetration of said bar into the hay, its end, D, maybe somewhat pointed and sharpened.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. Albar, D, when applied to a hay-fork, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The notched, perforated, and grooved bar D d dl,l di, in combination with the fork A B, latch F, spring.

H, and finger h, arranged and operating as and for th'e purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination of the lever I with the forkA B, bar D, spring H, and pin h, substantially' as and for the purpose set forth.

'Ioy the above, I have signed my name, this 12th day of June, 1868.

. SOLOMON S. MATT-IS.

J OHN A. Wrennnsnnm, P. F. Lemma. 

